Chapter 17 Bruising
Lilac walked quickly as the crew greeted her. Luckily, none o them noticed anything to stop her. She returned to her room in a panic. All through, keeping her head down hoping to not attract any attention. It was already early morning when she had returned to her room.
When she got to her room, she looked at her large luggage. No she was not taking it. She reached to grab something and noticed that ehr shaking hands had some slight blood on them.
In a panic, she quickly took out some wipes and wipes off the blood before she continued packing.
She took a out a small carry on bag and picked a few simple change of clothes and her jewelry and ID. She changed into a simple jean and shirt.
She needed to leave quickly and she hoped she could do it before anyone noticed.
She walked out of her room and froze when she met Eric and Helen just outside her cabin. Eric frowned when he saw her and his eyes trailed across her small carry on bag.
"Are you going somewhere?" He asked as Helen sighed and retreated into her room to give them some space.
"Yes. I am going home," Lilac answered.
"Home? Where? All your family is currently still in custody. Is that your home anymore?" Eric asked. Lilac could hear a hint of amusement in his voice. It was as though he enjoyed her predicament.
Lilac cursed inwardly. How could she forget that her cabin was right next to Eric and that she could run into him?
"Well, this is not my home either, so it is not a problem if I leave," Lilac said, walking past him.
"How? The boats just returned but it is best to wait till morn to leave. As for the choppers. I can't let you take them, we need them for tomorrow," Eric said.
"I will take the boats then," Lilac answered.
"Why would you be going to your so called home when the entire family is in the south islands?" Eric asked.
The south Islands? Why did these words sound familiar? Lilac suddenly had that bad feeling again.
"Well, you can all enjoy your stay," she said and made to leave hurriedly when he grabbed her arm, holding her in place.
"You don't think you have cause enough mess to expect me to let you go off on your own?" Eric asked, noticing that she was slightly trembling.
Frustration boiled up from beneath Lilac's stomach and rage filled her eyes.
"So, you intend to have me locked up, now do you? I don't care why you intend to keep a married you don't want, but I have nothing left to loose. Eric Black, do not test me," Lilac said through clenged teeth.
Eric realized her eyes looked even greener when she was angry. He could not be bothered with her threat and dragged her into his cabin, basically pushing her into a chair.
"Sit while I grab some documents. We leave in an hour," he said and Lilac looked down at her phone. Sure enough, it would be five AM in an hour. She resisted the urge to curse out loud.
This bloody ship was too large, it was basically a cruise liner being used as a personal family ship. Just going around had taken her so long into the night that she missed her opportunity to escape.
Lilac watched as staff entered Eric's room and begun helping him pack. Her mind raced, unsure of what to do. Should she leave regardless? After all, She had already thrown the crates overboard.
As though reading her mind, Eric spoke.
"The boats will be bringing our lawyers and associates. This is a business call, but I am sure you can find a way to relax," he said and Lilac froze.
If she had overslept tonight, the lawyers would have taken her place on one of the choppers, leaving the boats to her.
She looked up at the man who returned having changed his outfit to a loose button down shirt and slacks and looked away.
"Damien needs the boats to handle some business. So, you will be flying with me," he said and Lilac entered deep thought. So, Damien was the real target or did it not matter? As long as someone from the family was arrested on the boat, there would trouble.
Lilac did not care, as long she was not tr one on the boat. Her only anger was that she had almost died for nothing.
But then again, she could not be sure what other plans Michael had arranged, so it was best she went with Eric.
Eric saw that she was not responding and it irritated him. He picked up a black hand held case while the staff followed with his luggage.
Let's go. He said, grabbing Lilac forcefully and causing her to wince in pain. Lilac bit her lower lip and was dragged all the way to the chopper deck.
Her head, right shoulder and hand hurt, but she did not make a sound. When they got on the chopper, she ignored Eric and looked out into the rising sun. She did not realize when she fell asleep.
Eric frowned at the sight of her sleeping soundly and made to look away, only to pause. He saw a small trail of red liquid on her neck and slowly inches closer and lifter some of her wild red hair on my to pause. On the side of the neck were bruising all the way to her red and purple ear and temple. A small trail of blood dried to her skin from a slight cut at the base of her neck. The rising sun was not bright enough to see the bruising clearly.
This made no sense to him. He had seen her through out the party and she was not injured. But within a few hours she was bruised? Did she have an accident? He was about to stop looking as he had decided to just ask her when she woke up, bu paused at the bruse on her neck.
Eric's eyes darkened. What happened onboard the ship that he did not know about?
He asked his assistant for a flash light and the confused man wrestled around till Eric's body guard handed him a small torch. Eric raised some more of Lilac's hair, exposing her neck. He was too familiar with the bruising pattern. He frowned deeply.
Someone had strangled her.